Porsche Cayman GT4 Spied Testing on Nurburgring

We’ve had our first sighting of the rumored Porsche Cayman GT4, less than a week after news emerged of the car’s development. Befitting of its surely high level of performance, the Porsche Cayman GT4 prototype was spotted by our spy photographers at the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany.

Much like the 911 GT3, the GT4 will wear a full body kit to give it that coveted aerodynamic downforce on the track. The spy shots indicate that the Porsche Cayman GT4 will boast a larger front spoiler; a revised three-part front splitter; and a sinister, possibly adjustable rear wing to replace the GTS model’s smaller, retractable unit. Big wheels with track-ready rubber, cross-drilled rotors and performance brakes should also be on the menu.

The 2014 Porsche Cayman GTS already makes a generous 340 hp from its 3.4-liter flat-six. The mid-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds, with a top speed of 177 mph. Given that the Cayman GT4 will be a substantially more serious machine, we expect it to get a significant power bump over the GTS. Previous reports suggest that the GT4 will have over 400 hp. In place of the existing engine, the GT4 could use either a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a turbo-charged inline-four, or a hybrid-assisted flat-six.

Estimates put the price of the Porsche Cayman GT4 at around $125,000, compared to $76,125 for the Cayman GTS. Many have observed that the mid-engine Cayman’s precision and balance make it a competitive and more-affordable option for Porsche-philes not married to the idea of owning a 911. So far that dynamic has kept its distance from the high-performance end of the Porsche spectrum, but the GT4 would be a tempting alternative to the $131,395, 475-hp Porsche 911 GT3.

Porsche will supposedly bring the Cayman GT4 to the market in 2017, alongside a drop-top Porsche Boxster RS Spyder that will have similar mechanical upgrades. Stay tuned for more information as the cars’ development progresses.

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